Strolling the streets of The Royal Mile
We headed north to Scotland! Edinburgh was simply beautiful - the whole town looked like a scene out of Harry Potter. We stayed in the old town at Castle Rock hostel which sits right at the base of Edinburgh castle. The royal medieval buildings bespoke of a time when knight's, Kings and Queens roamed the land. The city is rich with history and there was a distinct Scottish style that really made you feel like you were out of England. Edinburgh is also a great backpacker haven as we met so many young backpackers travelling their way through Europe. Staying in a hostel also meant that we got to sample the local night life and went on a few pub crawls.
Edinburgh castle was one impressive fortress, rising high into the sky. It was one of the most important strongholds for the Kingdom of Scotland and was heavily involved in the War of Scottish Independence. The crown jewels and the sceptre are also housed safely within the castle, both used together to crown Mary Queen of Scots in 1543. There are free group tour guides that take you through to the main areas of the castle and provide a brief summary of the history which have shaped the castle. We were very lucky to have beautiful sunny back drop on they day that we visited.
Another highlight was taking a hike up Arthur's Seat; a hill overlooking the city. It is said that Arthur's Seat is one of the potential locations for the site of Camelot, the legendary castle. The hill is situated within Holyrood Park and at its peak, offers stunning views of the city. The trek was really enjoyable with great scenery and we loved putting on our hiking boots.
